Don't Drag Me Down
by FromTheHeartOfAFan
Summary: Takes place after the final episode of The Lying Game. How did Alec crash through the roof and why? When can Ted finally tell the truth to his, sadly, soon-to-be ex-wife? Are Ethan and Emma ever going to get through whatever they went through? What happened to our sweet, beloved Thayer, and who is the psycho with the Emma Anger that replaced him?
1. We Still Care

Ted was kneeling besides Alec and checking his pulse. Being the doctor that he is, he had been the first one to do something.

Ethan was on the phone with the police, Sutton by his side, gesturing for him to tell her what was going on.

Dan was still on his chair, trying to decide what to do. Ethan had told him to stay seated because almost everyone had fled and someone had to think about Theresa. He, being the only policeman there, was urging to help.

"He's not breathing!" Ted dragged Alec away from the broken glass and started to pound on his chest.

Only Kristen was surprised. Alec might've been a strong man at heart, but it seemed impossible to crash through a ceiling up that high and live. Kristen was trying to stay optimistic, but there didn't seem to be any chance. Especially because she felt like she had been waiting for the police for hours.

Why am I doing this? Ted thought. Alec took away my wife and my kids!

He stopped. Ted realized that he actually was thinking about letting his best friend die. He told himself that Alec was just another patient, and he couldn't let another one die.

"Ted, please, do something!" Kristen was practically wailing on the floor.

At that point, police cars and ambulances could be heard in the distance, if anyone was paying enough attention to notice them.

Dan jumped out of his seat, realizing that he might be letting a killer get away.  
I'm so sorry, Theresa, Dan thought silently. Then he started running.

The sound of police cars was much louder now, so Ethan told Sutton to tell them what happened and he followed Dan up the stairs to the roof.

"Augh!" Dan yelled when he got to the roof. Nobody was there.

"This is your fault!" Dan turned towards Ethan, who was just coming up the stairs," That might've been Rebecca, or whoever the killer was!"

"Dan, it might've been suicide." Ethan stepped up to Dan and made him sit down.

" Why would the DA kill himself, Ethan? What is so wrong with Alec's life that he wanted to die? Sure, his wife left him, but that was a long time ago. And Rebecca is on the run, but he didn't seem to care enough about her because of Kristen. Otherwise, that man had a perfect life!" Dan was trying to convince himself that it might've been a suicide, but it didn't seem possible.

Ethan didn't believe it was a suicide. So many people had suffered just because there was some secret that couldn't get out. So many people could've murdered Alec just for making them keep this secret. Ethan just needed Dan to calm down.

"Dan, even if it was murder and you got here in time, you don't even have a gun. What would you have done?" Ethan pointed out.

"At least I would've seen who it was, you know, if it was murder."

"What if they were wearing a mask, Dan? And what if they saw you? They might have a gun."

Ethan was right, again. If it was murder, then they had tried to make it look like suicide. There wasn't any bullet holes in Alec, at least from what Dan could see, but the killer might've had a gun.

Just then, the police came running up to the roof. It seemed like they thought it was murder because half of them were dusting for fingerprints, some of them were looking at the jagged glass, and some of them started to question Dan and Ethan.

Mads heard the alarms, but she was pretty sure that it was the car that Jordan was in. When the alarms weren't getting softer, though, Mads dared to look up. She saw a body bag being wheeled away, and immediately stood.

Mads, aware of the recent events, thought it was probably one of her friends. She quickly entered the building. At least, as quickly as she could in her heels. She looked all around for a familiar face and saw Ethan coming down the stairs.

" Ethan, what's going on? Did someone die?" Mads scanned the crowd again, this time spotting Sutton and Mr. Mercer whispering in the corner and Kristen being comforted by a paramedic."Why is Kristen crying?"

"Mads!" Ethan sounded tense,"We don't know what happened! He-"

"Where's my dad?" Mads interrupted.


	2. One Lousy Argument

**A/N: Hi! I hope you like my story so far! I'm no certified writer, but I do enjoy writing this, so feel free to give me your opinion. I'm not sure how often I can update because I'm still technically in school, but I decided to post two today. You know, to get the ball rolling. Anyways, here's chapter two!**

Mads was sitting on a hard, blue chair with her face in her hands. She wasn't crying, but she could hardly breathe. Mads hadn't said anything since Ted had confirmed that Alec was dead. She also still hasn't let the group know that Jordan was in jail.

"Madeline Rybak?"A police officer walked into the police station waiting room. "We need to bring you in for questioning."

Laurel stood up with Mads, gave her a hug, then sat back down. She had joined the group in the police station after receiving a call from Sutton.

* * *

There was a knock on the door. Emma, thinking it was Kristen, went to open it. Emma was dressed in faded jeans and a baggy t-shirt so Kristen could see the real her. Emma opened the door, but Kristen wasn't the one waiting for her.

Emma gasped and said, with wide eyes,"What are you doing here!?"

* * *

"So, um, I wasn't there," Laurel said breaking the silence, "Can somebody fill me in?"

Mads had already been gone for thirty minutes and everyone was almost sleeping, exhausted from the previous event.

"Alec fell through the roof and died. Are you happy?" Sutton replied, annoyed and groggy.

"Gee, thanks, Sutton. It's nice to know that Alec didn't drag your hostile heart down with him."

Mads walked down the hall quietly, fresh tears streaming down her face.

"At least I didn't stalk a senior. Where is Jordan, Laurel? Did you lock him in a cell or something?"

Mads gasped and stopped walking. Laurel and Sutton were to loud, though, and nobody heard her.

"You were the one who told people tha-"

"Laurel!" Ted glared at Laurel and gestured at Kristen, who had finally stopped crying and was wiping her eyes in her chair. Even if Laurel had finished her sentence, Kristen probably wouldn't have heard her.

"Mads!" Sutton was the first to notice the tense dancer cowering in the hall. Even though they weren't exactly the best of friends at the time, Sutton still cared enough to notice that she was more scared than sad. " What's wrong?"

"I- I forgot." Mads started, more tears flowing down her cheeks. " Jordan's... He's in jail. They... He said he killed his brother."


	3. I Could've Told Her Myself

"How the heck do you forget that!?" Sutton stood, instantly wide awake.

"Sutton!" Ted and Laurel said in unison.

"Her dad is dead, Sutton! Her stepmom is on the run and her family isn't exactly here to share her grief!" Laurel faced Sutton, clearly thinking she was acting selfish.

"Stop picking a fight, Laurel. She could've at least told us!"

"I'm sorry! Can you just shut up about it now, Sutton?!" Mads cried out.

"Mads, the one person who could be comforting you right now killed somebody! The person we've been planning with could be crazy, and you forgot to tell us that?!"

"Planning?" Kristen looked up from her seat. She had been listening in on the conversation since Mads had spilled the beans about Jordan.

"Oh, mom! I- we'll explain later," Laurel hesitated.

"Sutton, he isn't the only one who's supposed to comfort me! I think friends can do that, too! And since it's clear that I don't have any here, I need to find one!" Mads started walking away, but stopped and turned, facing Sutton.

"Forgot something?" Sutton said, finally shaking the shock from her face.

"Actually, yes. Clearly, Kristen doesn't know. I can't believe you haven't told her yet! After everything that's happened, can you tell her before somebody else dies?!"

"What don't I know?" Kristen spoke up again, this time, expecting an answer.

Mads looked at everyone's face. Sutton and Laurel both looked down, hesitating. Ethan, who hadn't said anything since they got to the police station, just looked at Mads with a blank face. Ted had just been called in for questioning, but Mads was pretty sure that if he was here, he would tell her.

"Fine. Kristen, Sutton has a twin sister and you know her. She's the nice, sweet version of Sutton, not the lying, vindictive one. They're pretty easy to tell apart," Mads started to walk away again, but stopped one last time to say, "And everyone, including Ethan, likes _her_ better."

* * *

"I didn't do it. I wouldn't do it! He- No! Th- he isn't- I don't know! Nothing!"

Emma slowly opened her eyes. Her head felt like it was on fire and her hands were bound so tightly, they felt cold against her knees, which were sticking out of her ripped jeans. Emma was on a cold floor in a dark room, rolled into a ball. She could hear a scared voice on the other side of the door. It didn't sound familiar, but she could barely hear, especially through the ringing in her ears.

"No! I can't- She wouldn't do that! I wouldn't do that!"

Suddenly, the door swung open. Emma wasn't facing the door, so she couldn't see her kidnapper. All she saw was a still shadow. She didn't see the person move or hear them speak for a good five minutes.

"No! I won't!"

The sudden scream made Emma flinch, indicating that she was awake. She saw the shadow raise what looked like a bat. As the baseball bat came soaring down towards Emma's head, she registered the sound of the voice. Emma closed her eyes as she imagined her kidnappers very familiar face... Then it all went black.

* * *

**A/N: How am I doing? In the future, I probably won't update as much, but I couldn't resist posting the newest chapter. I'm not the strongest person. Also, I apologize if my stories aren't as long as some of the others on this website. If anybody thinks I need to add more detail or something to make it longer, feel free to say so. Otherwise, I hope you like it!**


	4. It's All Out Now

Fresh tears were streaming down Kristen's face. She was sitting in the passenger side of Ethan's Jeep, not exactly sure why she had asked Ethan to drive her.

Kristen had spent the last half hour hearing about "What was going on backstage in the Sutton Story," as Laurel put it. Sutton gave her most of the story, but Ethan jumped in whenever Emma was blamed. Kristen guessed he really liked her. When Ted came back, he gave his side of the story. Actually, he just listened to Sutton speak, saying "I just found out!" whenever his name came up.

All Kristen could remember after that was saying she had to see Emma, then asking Ethan to drive her. Kristen knew that something was missing in the stories they were telling her, and the fact that Ethan always flinched at the sound of Emma's name confirmed it.

The Jeep slowed down and Kristen looked forward. Through her tears, she could just make out her families cabin.

"I... I can't exactly come with you," Ethan muttered.

"Do you not like Emma? Is... Is she not as nice as everyone says, or something?" Kristen knew this wasn't true, but she wanted to know what happened that made Ethan not want to see Emma.

"No! No, it's definitely not that. I- Theresa died because somebody wanted to keep the secret of the twins safe. If I had just told my brother... If Sutton had told... My brother might be happily married right now. He made me choose between him and the twins. He doesn't exactly know Emma, but he knows Sutton, because of that whole necklace thing, so talking to her isn't exactly betraying. But, with Emma...," Ethan looked down, realizing he was blabbering.

"I'll go see her," Kristen started walking towards the cabin, but paused.

"Oh, and, Ethan, if that was her... If that was Emma with you all those times... She really likes you. She stood by you. I hope you know what you had," with that, Kristen walked to the cabin door.

* * *

"Mads told her," Sutton was the first to speak up after Kristen and Ethan left.

Ted was driving Laurel and Sutton home from the police station.

"What did you say after I left that would make her tell Kristen?" Ted didn't sound angry or annoyed, but disappointed. He really wanted to be the one to tell Kristen.

"She didn't say a lot. She just stopped pretending she changed," Laurel spoke up from the backseat.

"I did change!" Sutton had tried so hard to change in the last few weeks. If one lousy argument had to change that, then she would stop trying.

"You did? Because I don't remember you doing anything differently these past few weeks!

"I was nicer!" Sutton managed to squeak out.

"That was Emma!" Laurel threw back in response.

"Girls! You're acting like babies!" Ted had heard enough. Laurel and Sutton have been fighting now more than ever and he didn't know why.

"Oh, right. Because you know what a baby does. You've had enough of them." Sutton spit out, instantly regretting it.

"Sutton!" Laurel resisted the urge to slap the back of Sutton's head.

"What?! This is who I am, isn't it?! This is how I'm supposed to act, right?! How come you're so surprised?!" Sutton felt worse with each word she said.

"Stop it! Sutton, I don't know what you think your doing, but you've hurt enough people today. Just stop it!" Ted managed to say, even though he was still in shock. Sutton has talked back to him before, but she's never insulted him.

"Sorry," Sutton mumbled from her seat.

**A/N: Hey! If you didn't notice, I'm personally avoiding Emma's current drama. Ah, how I love suspense. Also, I don't know why, but I kept feeling like Sutton had be mad so... Here you go!**


	5. One Long Night

**A****/N: Thank you for all the really nice reviews! I seriously had no idea how I was doing, but reading your reviews made my doubt bar drop! Anyways, here is that Emma drama that I promised not-that-long-ago!**

Kristen knocked on the door again, for the fourth time. She smiled to herself, thinking that Emma might've fallen asleep. It _was_ already two in the morning.

Kristen, not wanting to disturb her, walked away.

"Is something wrong, Mrs. Mercer?" Ethan had been thinking about how Kristen and Emma's conversation would go, but he looked up when the door of his Jeep opened.

"Emma didn't answer. According to, well, everyone, Emma has been through a lot. If she's sleeping, I'll leave her to it," Kristen announced as she slid into her seat.

Ethan wanted to protest, but then he would have to explain why. He didn't want to have to explain a killer to Kristen, who had finally stopped crying, so he started up his Jeep and drove Kristen to her house.

* * *

There was knocking on the door. Thayer shot out of bed, still holding a bloody crowbar. He looked around his room, remembering what had happened.

"Just a second!" Thayer yelled, then he stuffed his crowbar back in its place, underneath a couch cushion. He wasn't sure what to do about the mess.

The knocking grew louder, so Thayer decided he would make the person at the door leave. He opened it just enough for him to poke his head out.

"Mads? What are you doing here?" Thayer was so surprised, he let go of the door. He thought that Mads was at Theresa's memorial.

"I just wanted to tell you myself," Mads pushed open Thayer's door before he could stop her. "What happened to your room?"

"I- umm..."

"Somebody told you already, huh? I know he's not your father, or anything, but at least you cared. I'll help you clean up, tomorrow, if you want," and with that, Mads walked out.

Thayer looked after Mads. What had happened to Alec?

Suddenly, Thayer's eyes got big. He knew that Alec had known what Thayer did. Maybe he told.

Thayer stormed out of his apartment. He was going to the one person that would understand why he did what he did. Not only that, but also to see if a certain someone had found her yet...

* * *

Emma awoke to the sound of something dropping. Her eyes were covered and her hands weren't as tightly bounded as before. She could also feel gauze wrapped around her forehead, right over a spot that felt like it was burning.

_Someone here must care about me_, thought Emma. _At least, enough to make sure I didn't die._

Suddenly, Emma remembered that someone did care, or was the relative of someone who cared. She couldn't remember the voice, who she thought it was, or even what their gender was, but she remembered their conversation.

Her kidnapper had sounded scared, like they were the one bound up. They probably were though. They were, like almost everybody else in this town, bounded up in Alec's, Ted's, and Rebecca's lies.

Emma almost laughed. Now that she was alone, she could think. She was thinking about the fact that, even though half of Phoenix knew the secret, Alec was so determined to keep it safe. Three people had died since Emma had gotten there, all of them because of her and her family.

Something dropped again, Things kept falling, all of them getting louder and louder as each second passed.

Then, the sound changed. Nothing was falling on the floor anymore, but the sound was louder. It didn't get louder and louder, luckily, but it still rang in Emma's ears.

It wasn't a familiar sound, but Emma knew what it was immediately. She was hoping she would never have to hear it up close, but here she was.

Suddenly, Emma's blindfold was ripped off. Rebecca was standing in front of her.

"Emma! Emma, oh, are you okay!?" Rebecca was whispering and she sounded scared.

"Why would- why did you kidnap me?" Emma was surprised and confused. Why would her own mother kidnap her? And if she did, why was she so scared?

"No! Emma, I am your mother, I wouldn't do that!" Rebecca was no longer whispering, but she still acted frightened. She started removing the ropes tied around Emma's hands and feet.

Emma put her head back on the ground and looked through the door. Plates and cans were scattered on the floor. The source of the loud banging that still rung in Emma's ears was on the floor. All Emma had to do, though, to confirm her suspicions was look at the walls. The gunshots had created holes in the walls, letting in moonlight.

Emma didn't think she had ever been here before, but it was eerily familiar. She might not've recognized the room, but the smell and the shape of the room were familiar.

"Emma, can you stand? Lets go!" Rebecca grabbed Emma's hand and helped her stand up. Emma looked around again, this time noticing that shirts had been thrown around, too. Shirts that Emma swore she had seen before.

Rebecca led Emma outside. All she had to do was look around, then Emma knew exactly where she was. The surroundings were familiar, but the unconscious body on the ground was what gave it all away.


	6. Revealed

**A/N: If you didn't notice, the last five chapters were from the exact same night. Huh. Oh well.**

This time, when Emma woke up, it was actually morning. She was on a creaky mattress, underneath a thin, brown, blanket in a smelly motel. Rebecca was still asleep in the other bed.

"Rebecca? Where are we?" Emma said, groggily.

"Mmppphh," Rebecca muttered into her pillow, "I'm still a fugitive, remember? I was going to come back, but I figured they would think I killed Alec."

"Killed Alec? Alec's dead?!" Emma shot up in bed and faced Rebecca, still face down in her pillow.

"He... Fell through the roof. At Theresa's memorial, or, something," Rebecca slowly flipped over, looking at Emma. "I... called him up to the roof to talk about Tha-," Rebecca stopped.

"You pushed Alec?!" Emma wasn't tired anymore. She was to busy thinking about last nights events.

Rebecca sighed in relief. Emma hadn't noticed Rebecca's slip.

"You did, didn't you? Okay, I'm leaving," Emma swung her legs over the side of the bed. The sudden movement made her realize that her head was still throbbing.

"Emma, your head. Please, stay. I- I'll explain... Just..." Rebecca started to stand. "Just... What happened to you?"

"What do you mean?" Emma laid her head back down on the hard, smelly pillow.

"Well, you were gone for only two hours, yet your head is throbbing and you have rope burn on your wrists."

Emma sighed. "I... I don't know. I was waiting in the cabin. Sutton was supposed to tell Kristen yesterday, so I was waiting for her."

"Tell Kristen what, exactly?"

"Really? You really need to ask?"

"Sorry. It's just, it's still morning. I'm tired."

Emma slowly stood. "Fine. I'll tell you later," Emma muttered as she limped to the bathroom.

* * *

"Where are you going?" Ted looked up. He had stayed the night at Kristen's so he could talk to her, but she was still sleeping.

"Well, apparently Emma fell asleep waiting for Kristen. We're just going to check up on her," Sutton was walking down the hall, shoes and purse in hand, with Laurel at her heels. Apparently, they had talked during the night and made up.

Sutton was in a black, flowing blouse and black, denim shorts. She was trying to prepare herself for her conversation with Emma. She wasn't sure why, but she felt like Emma was in trouble, so she had told Laurel to get ready.

"I'll tell Kristen when she wakes up," Ted muttered, looking back at his book.

"Dad? Are you okay?" Laurel questioned.

"Yeah. Yeah, it's just... I'm fine. Go talk to Emma," Ted stood and walked down the hall towards the guest bedroom.

* * *

"He kidnapped you, Emma, not me! I promise!" Rebecca was sitting on her bed, facing Emma. Emma had told Rebecca all she had heard, though why she did, she had no idea.

"What happened then, Rebecca?! Why was it so important that you find me?"

"I knew he would find you. He was looking for me, so he took you. I... I took his gun. He kept shooting... He was drunk. I took his gun from him. That's why he was unconscious. I hit him with the gun. I couldn't shoot him."

Emma sighed. "How did you find me?! Why you? What about... Sutton? Laurel?"

_Ethan_, Emma thought quietly to herself.

"And... You still haven't told me why he... kidnapped me. We have are own drama. You can't keep saying it was because of you." Emma was still confused.

"Emma... I don't know. I know he has his problems with me... I have no idea why he would kidnap you."

"He didn't do the job, though. I told you, he didn't get me at the cabin. Someone else did."

No one talked for a good minute. Then Rebecca realized something.

"Emma, you haven't said his name all day. You can say it, you know. We might not be talking about the same person."

Emma sighed for the tenth time that day. "I just... I don't know why he would do that. Why... Dan would kidnap me."


	7. Find Me

**A/N: Well! Wasn't that a nice, little turn out! I must say, I almost feel like all... seven...of you were gasping at the end. So! Here is the very next part of my written-by-a-"kid"-story! I hope you enjoy! And, also, don't let my writing sarcasm discourage you. There are actually a lot more people reading this than I thought there would be. So... Thanks. I guess. Wow, I am sooo not good at doing this. Even in writing. Huh.**

It was noon. Thayer had finally reached the cabin after unfortunately falling asleep the second he sat in his car.

He swung open the door and looked inside. His eyes widened, taking in the mess.

The couch was flipped over onto the coffee table. CDs and magazines were scattered all around the room.

Thayer was hoping that he would find Emma and explain what happened. He was also hoping he might get here before Alec told her, or Ethan somehow convinced Dan to let him date her. He must've been to late.

* * *

"Nothing. No prints on the body or on the roof. No ones except Alec's. If I didn't know of the recent events, I would probably suspect it was a suicide," Dan said, walking up to Ethan, who was still lying in bed.

"Where have you been?!" Ethan questioned. Dan hadn't come to the police station with him. Earlier that day, he showed up with a bruise on the side of his head, but didn't talk to Ethan.

"Just... Trying to find out what happened. I didn't find out anything more than what you know. I actually feel like I lost something," Dan said, not facing Ethan.

" Well, Mads told Kristen yesterday. This is almost over," Ethan said hopefully.

"So? We're still in this, Ethan. So a responsible person who can do something knows. We still don't have the killer. I still don't have Theresa!" Dan said, getting louder and louder.

"Dan. I didn't mean that. I just thought that if the reason the murderer was killing people was revealed, he would stop," Ethan tried not to raise his voice, knowing that Dan had been through a lot.

"He probably would, but it's not like he'd just reveal himself! Ethan, this isn't high school drama! It doesn't end happily ever after! Not for me, not for Sutton and her messed up family, not even for you! You have no idea how hard I've tried to show you that," Dan grabbed the beer he had opened and stormed out of the trailer.

Ethan started to stand, but stopped. What had Dan meant about his last statement? Did he do something to Emma?

Ethan got dressed, grabbed his keys, and got in his car. He was still deciding where he should go...

* * *

"Thayer. What the heck are you doing here?" Sutton slammed the door of her BMW and stomped up to Thayer, pushing past him as she entered the cabin."Where's Emma?!"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing," Thayer suddenly remembered why he was there in the first place. "By any chance, did Alec tell you guys something about me?"

"First of all, I wouldn't care if he did. Second of all, I'm not exactly sure how he would do that. You know, considering..." Laurel trailed off awkwardly.

"First of all, what did I ever do to you? Second of all... Considering what?" Thayer said, mimicking her tone.

"Oh my gosh, Thayer. I mean, I know Emma dumped you and all, but have you been living in a hole?" Sutton said, sarcastically, while checking the bedrooms, looking for Emma. "Alec died!"

"W-what?!" Thayer choked.

"Uuaahh, god! I just need to find Emma! Come on, Laurel!" Sutton yelled. Laurel was in the woods, seeing if Emma had fled for some reason.

"Wait, Sutton! I- I'll come with you!" Thayer jumped into Sutton's car before she could protest.

"Fine! Fine, Thayer. We'll talk during the drive," Sutton started the car. "Oh, and, next time, don't jump. Your shoes might get the new leather upholstering dirty."


	8. Two Days of Terror

**A/N: Hi! I am so sorry I haven't been uploading. I had to make these greek comedy and tragedy masks, this poster about the Greek goddess Artemis, build a- Wait. You don't care. Well, here's the story that should've been posted days ago.**

"Here, Emma. Drink this," Rebecca handed her a paper cup, filled with something thick and red.

"What is it?" Emma still wasn't sure how she felt about Rebecca, even though she just had her first heart-to-heart with her mother.

"Medicine. For your head. I got it from the market across the street," Emma's eyes widened.

Rebecca smiled. "Don't worry. I wore a wig."

* * *

Thayer was breathing deeply. Alec wasn't supposed to die. He wasn't supposed to die yet.

"Where could she be!?" Sutton muttered from the drivers seat. Sutton hadn't started the car because she had no idea where to go.

"She could be with Ethan," Laurel mentioned.

"No. Ethan rejected her," Thayer spit out. He couldn't understand why Ethan would keep fighting for Emma, then dump her the second she became available.

"Well, okay. Do you have any smart ideas?" Laurel said, sarcastically.

"I... Don't know," Thayer murmured.

"Thanks," Sutton uttered, "Why are you here, anyway, Thayer? It's not like Emma cares about you."

Thayer paused. He didn't think that Sutton would throw that at him.

"Emma cares about everyone..." Thayer trailed off.

"Maybe Emma went to Kristen, or gave in to Rebecca," Laurel put in.

"No, she wouldn't give in to Rebecca. Alright, let's check the house." Sutton started the car and sped off towards her home.

* * *

The door to the cabin burst open. Ethan was looking for Emma. He really didn't want to think that Dan would do anything, but he still had to make sure that Emma was okay.

"Emma? Emma, are you here?" Ethan rushed in, checking every room. He didn't notice the overturned coffee table until he finished checking the rooms.

"Oh no..." Ethan looked down at the Princess Cut engagement ring under one of the tables legs. It was clearly a woman's ring, and Ethan had a pretty good idea of whose it was.

* * *

Emma was lying, fully dressed, on the cold motel bed. Her eyes were closed and she was trying to remember who got her from the cabin.

_If it was the killer, it's someone I know,_ thought Emma.

"She's asleep," Rebecca's voice broke the silence. Emma opened one eye slightly and looked off to her left. Rebecca was on the phone. Her head was poking out of the bathroom and she was staring at Emma with a blank face.

"She doesn't remember. You're safe,"

Emma was pretty sure Rebecca was talking about her, but she had no idea who she was talking to.

"I'll deal with it, I promise. Yes! I mean, I already did!" Emma decided she heard enough.

"Umm, Rebecca?" Rebecca closed the door suddenly, but stepped out in a bit with her hands behind her back.

"Yes, sweetie?" Rebecca might've had a soft voice, but her eyes said that she was afraid.

"Uh, I'm hungry. Is there anything to eat?" Emma pinched her arm to stop from shaking.

"Oh, of course honey! You must be starving!" Rebecca's voice was no longer soft. Instead, she was shaking.

"Well, it has been a long day. My chest is also hurting," Emma was scared. Really scared. Almost everyone who knew she was Emma thought Rebecca was the murderer, and Emma had no time to go over the facts.

"Emma... I'm sorry," Rebecca took her hands out from behind her back. In one hand, there was a small vile, half filled with small, red pills. In the other, there were some papers.

Emma suddenly felt like her heart was on fire. She couldn't sit up, or even lift a limb.

"I'm sorry."

Emma squinted at the papers. Just before she fainted, Emma read,_ Autopsy Report: Emma Jade Becker._


	9. Pick a Side, J

**A/N: Hi! Hopefully, I'll be getting back to my usual updating ways. Of course, I'll need some reviews to read for motivation...**

"Dad!" Sutton cried out, surprised to see her father still in his seat, flipped to what looked like the same page of his book that he was on earlier.

"Hi. How's Emma?" Ted didn't even look up. He had a lot on his mind.

"She wasn't at the cabin!" Sutton yelled, stomping up to her room.

"Is she here, by any chance?!" Laurel asked, walking into the kitchen.

"Well, if she is, I didn't see her," Ted looked up,"Maybe she's talking to Kristen."

"She's not in my room!" Sutton said, stomping back to the kitchen.

"I'll check with Kristen!" Laurel replied, racing up to her parents bedroom.

"Thayer! Aren't you going to help?!" Sutton asked, out of breath. She felt like she had been running around all morning.

"Well, uh," Thayer replied quietly.

"My sister is missing! You jumped in my car to help and you're not even trying!" Sutton cried out, annoyed.

"Well, Emma might not be missing," Thayer replied.

"Thayer! She wasn't where she's supposed to be!"

"Kristen's still asleep! I can't find Emma!" Laurel exclaimed.

"Where could she be?!" Sutton sighed.

* * *

"Dan!" Ethan jumped out of his Jeep and walked towards the trailer.

"Dan, are you here?"

Ethan walked into the trailer. His shirts, some plates, and some beer cans were strewn all over the floor. There were holes in the walls and in the back of the trailer, where Ethan's things were, there was dried blood near the bed.

Ethan stared at his side of the trailer, in shock.

"Ethan?" Dan walked into the trailer.

"Dan!" Ethan turned around,"Where have you been?!"

"Uh, at the police station. I thought you were still there," Dan stuttered.

"What the heck happened here?!" Ethan gestured at the mess.

"I... Um... Yesterday. Well, Rebecca was here and, uh, I was trying to get her to come to the police station. She... had a gun," Dan looked everywhere but at Ethan.

"Dan. You should talk to Sutton. You're a really bad liar. Just tell me what the hell happened?!" Ethan stepped up to Dan.

Dan sighed. "Well, Rebecca really was here. She... Well, I... met Emma, before Rebecca got here."

"You met her?" Ethan scrunched his eyebrows.

"Well, we didn't exactly talk..."

"Dan. I found this ring at the cabin," Ethan pulled the ring out of his pocket.

"You talked to Emma? Ethan, we made a deal!"

"Dan! That's not the point!" Ethan cried out, annoyed. "Emma wasn't there! I just... need to know that you didn't do anything to her!"

Dan smiled, weakly. "Why would I?"

* * *

"Call them!" Rebecca was facing a window, talking to Jordan at the police station. She had told the officer on guard that she was Jordan's mom. She was even wearing a wig and had a fake ID.

"Rebecca! First of all, I'm kind of in jail! You don't have anything on me anymore! I don't have to listen to you!" Jordan whispered back.

"I can get you out!" Rebecca replied.

"No, you can't. You're a fugitive, remember?" Jordan said, quieter than before. "Second of all, the police have caller ID! If someone calls them from jail to report a dead body, they're going to question how I know!"

"She's not dead yet! And I'm not telling you to call them now! Wait a few days, then she'll be dead!"Rebecca pleaded.

"Third of all," Jordan said, ignoring Rebecca,"what do you plan to do? Give them her autopsy right after they find her?!"

"No, I'll switch it with the real one! Jordan, please! Please," Rebecca leaned forward.

Jordan sighed. "Fine. Then, if you really think you can, get me out of here!"

"Visiting hours are almost over," an officer walked up to Jordan, pulling him away from the window.

"Hey, can I use my call now?" Jordan asked when he was sure Rebecca couldn't hear him.

"A call? Really?" The officer stared at Jordan. "You asked me to break the rules because you wanted to talk face to face. What happened?"

"It didn't really work out with her," Jordan fake-smiled. "Please?"

"Fine. But you have to hurry up."


	10. Not Dead, Yet

**A/N: So, I'm posting two today. You know, because of my lack of chapters last week. Oh, and, I'd just like to ask of this story is as twisted as the show would've made it, or not. Feel free to reply!**

"Mads! Mads, I know it's you. It can't be Alec-" Jordan whispered into the pay phone.

"How do you know it can't be Alec?" Mads was surprised that Jordan had called her.

"Well, um, see, that's why I'm calling. Rebecca came to see me. She bribed the officers, telling them she was my mom," Jordan said, talking quickly.

"Jordan! Jordan, slow down!" Mads interrupted, again.

"I can't! I only have, like, three minutes!"

"Okay, what?" Mads asked.

Jordan breathed."Rebecca. She told me what happened to Alec last night. That's why I knew it wasn't him. I'm really sorry, Mads."

"It's fine, just tell me what happened!"

"While you were at the police station, or hospital, or wherever you were yesterday, Rebecca kidnapped Emma! She kept her at Ethan's, and when Dan came home, he tried to shoot her. Rebecca hit him on the head with a bottle. Apparently, this made Emma wake up. When Rebecca noticed her, Rebecca pretended that she was there to save her. Then, Rebecca took her to that motel that she took Sutton to when she crashed into the lake. This morning, she gave her these drugs, that are slowly killing Emma, right now!" Jordan sighed. Going over what Rebecca had told him made him realize that this was all real.

"What!? Well, did she tell you this?" Mads voice was loud and sharp. She was clearly shocked.

"Yes. But, she asked me to do something for her, so I'm pretty sure that she's not lying," Jordan replied.

"What did she want?" Mads asked.

"For me to call the police in a few days and report a dead body. Rebecca said that she would switch the autopsy report they'll make for her fake one, saying that Emma died only a few hours ago, of alcohol poisoning."

"Jordan, what should I do?" Mads was talking quieter than before, but she still sounded shocked.

"Just... Tell Sutton, and everyone else. Find Emma!" Jordan cried out, a little to loudly. The officer scowled at him.

"Yeah, yeah, of course! I'll find her, Jordan. Thank you, you know, for not siding with Rebecca." Mads replied.

"Mads, I wouldn't. She doesn't have anything on me anymore." Just then, the connection timed out. Jordan sighed, putting the phone back in the slot.

"Are you done?" The officer asked, putting handcuffs on Jordan.

"Yeah. Yeah, someone's planning the rescue,"

_Not mine, though_, Jordan thought, regretting the fact that he didn't ask Mads to come get him.

* * *

"Thayer! Emma's in trouble!" Mads was on the phone with her brother, him being the only person who wasn't mad at her.

Mads blurted out everything that Jordan has told her.

"Please, tell Sutton and Laurel for me. I'll tell Et-" Mads stopped talking. For a moment, she forgot how Thayer felt about Ethan.

"Yeah, I'll tell them now!" Thayer replied, pretending he didn't hear his sister's mistake.

"Thank you! I would help find Emma, but you're kind of the only one who will talk to me right now," _Except for Ethan_, Mads thought.

* * *

"I know where Emma is!" Thayer said, clicking off his phone.

He repeated what Mads had told him, skipping the fact that Mads was the one who told him.

"She could be alive!"Thayer finished, as he followed Sutton to her car.

"Well, let's save her!" Sutton cried out, grabbing her keys on her way out the door.

"Dad! Are you coming?" Laurel asked, turning to face Ted.

"I'm sorry, I think I'm going to stay here," Ted replied, softly.

"Dad, your child, who you've barely gotten to know, is about to die because of her mother, and you want to finish-" Laurel looked at her fathers book,"Strokes and Seizures?! Dad? Is there something you want to tell me?"

Ted sighed. "Your mothers been in bed all day for a reason..."

"Laurel, come on!" Sutton yelled from the driveway.

"Um, dad, we need to talk about this, but right now, I have a half-sister to save!" Laurel began to run out the door, but stopped and turned around.

"Take care of mom."


	11. One Last Surprise

**A/N: Well, would you look at that? I'm back to my usual updating. Huh. Maybe this is what my usual updating is. Daily every other week, but only, like, two chapters on the other weeks. Yeah. I'll try that out.**

"Where's dad?" Sutton asked Laurel as she pulled out of the driveway.

"He... Can't come," Laurel murmured.

"Laurel! He's a doctor! He should be here just in case Emma is closer to being dead than we thought!" Sutton cried out, stopping the car to stare at her little sister.

"Yeah, Sutton. He is a doctor. That's why he needs to be at home right now," Laurel replied, quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you really have to ask? It's noon and mom is still in bed," Laurel said, sadly.

"It's noon?" Sutton looked at the small, green numbers on the car's clock.

"Laurel, she was probably to focused on Emma to worry about anything else," Thayer put in from the passenger seat.

"Dad was reading about strokes and seizures," Laurel whispered, ignoring Thayer. "If something is wrong with mom, he has to stay and help her."

Sutton started to drive away from the house. "Well, what are we supposed to do if Emma really is worse than we thought?"

"Well," Laurel replied, "I mean, I know I haven't been doing this as much as you guys, but maybe we should call the cops. Tell them our stories."

"Laurel, its been months. Do you seriously think they'll believe us?" Thayer replied.

"You guys said you tried when it was just Emma-"

"Emma told the cops?" Sutton interrupted.

"When it was just Emma. Now both of you are here. You just need to call the killers bluff," Laurel said, ignoring Sutton's question.

"No, we just need to save my sister," Sutton responded.

Laurel sighed. "Fine. But we have some people we need to pick up..."

* * *

"Ethan, Emma's in trouble!" Mads started.

"Yeah, I know. Dan told me that she's with Rebecca!" Ethan replied as he walked out of his trailer.

"No! Emma's dying!" Mads cried out.

"What?!" Ethan exclaimed, stopping in front of his Jeep. He turned around and thought about telling Dan.

Mads told Ethan everything that Jordan told her, skipping the parts that Ethan already knew.

"Sutton should be on her way to pick you up!" Mads finished.

"No, she probably isn't. You said you told Thayer to tell Sutton. If he did, he wouldn't tell her to get me, especially if we're saving Emma," Ethan said, half to Mads and half to himself.

"Ethan, you and Emma were the start of this 'detective' thing. Sutton will always come to get you," Mads replied.

Just then, a car honked behind Ethan.

"Hey, that must be them. Thanks for calling me," Ethan told Mads before he ended the call.

Ethan turned around, expecting to see Sutton's BMW. Instead, he saw a white Prius, with a license plate that told Ethan the car was a rental.

"Emma's missing."


	12. His High Horse

**A/N: Hi! It is the one week anniversary of this story! How do you feel? Also, if this makes any difference, I'm writing this whilst watching Lizzie McGuire reruns. Ha ha ha! I'm such a child...**

"Thayer," Ethan mumbled, hastily. "Do you seriously think I don't know that? Why are you here?"

Thayer glared at Ethan. "Do you really think I want to be here?! Laurel told me to get you and Sutton to get Mads. She's either really crazy, or she wants some people to make up so we can save her sister."

"Okay," Ethan sighed,"but what's with the rental?"

"Alec died, remember? I didn't exactly want to go driving around in his Porsche," Thayer replied.

Ethan smiled. "It's a Mercedes."

"How would you know? You don't even have the money to sit in one," Thayer shot back.

"Alec owns the country club that I work at. I've driven his car plenty of times."

"Shut up, will you?!" a voice came from the back of Thayer's rental.

"Laurel?" Ethan questioned, replacing his hostile face with a shocked one.

"Mads and Sutton probably won't kill each other, so I'm your referee," Laurel responded, sitting up. "Can we please go? My sister is kind of dying. Like, right now. Because of her twisted mother."

Laurel sighed. "You two look lost. Just, please, stop hating each other for one minute so we can save the thing that's making you two hate each other."

Ethan stopped glaring at Thayer and looked at Laurel. "That... actually made sense."

"Fine. Let's go," Thayer mumbled as he walked to the drivers side.

"Why do you get to drive?" Ethan questioned.

"Uh, it's my rental," Thayer replied.

"I've been to the motel more times than you have. I'll drive."

"Ugh! Stop it! I'll drive," Laurel interrupted as she pushed open the passenger-side door.

"Shotgun!" Thayer cried out.

"Hello? Emma?" Laurel said, annoyed by Ethan and Thayer's constant bickering.

* * *

"Mads, I know your mad at me, but Emma's in trouble. Thayer told me!" Sutton yelled as she rang the Chamberlin's doorbell.

"Who do you think told him?" Mads asked, opening the door.

"You called him before you called me? Look, I'm sorry about freaking out over Jordan, but-"

"Do you seriously think I care about that?" Mads interrupted. "You're supposed to be my best friend, but you didn't even tell me you had a sister! Or that she was taking over your life while you were lounging around in LA with my brother!"

"That's the point, Mads! You said it yourself, Emma is a better friend than me. That's probably why you should be helping me save her, not reminding me why I shouldn't be saving her!" Sutton cried out.

"Reminding you that you shouldn't be saving her? Sutton, there is no reason why you shouldn't be saving her!"

Sutton stared at Mads. "Mads, there is no reason why you shouldn't be saving her!"

"Are you mocking me?"

"Please?" Sutton begged.

"Fine. But I'm not doing this for you," Mads mumbled.

Sutton looked at Mads again. "No, you're not. You're doing this for Emma. Wow, it's like you want me to be selfish."

Mads rolled her eyes. "Let's go."

* * *

"Kristen?" Ted whispered as he peeked into his old room. "Are you awake?"

"I am now," Kristen mumbled into her pillow.

"How are you feeling?" Ted asked, still whispering.

"Tired," Kristen said, rolling over onto her side. "But I'm fine."

"You weren't fine when you came home yesterday," Ted pointed out.

"Well, it was a long day. Nothing happened, I just... stiffened up. I'll be okay," Kristen replied.

"Well, if you really think that, then I have to go."

Kristen scrunched her eyebrows. "Where are you going?"

"I don't want to upset you. Don't worry about it. I'm only here as your doctor, remember? If...anything happens... Call me, or the hospital," Ted answered.

"Bye!" Kristen said, semi-joyfully.

The door swung shut, but Kristen couldn't fall asleep. Something was wrong. Ted had been so determined to make sure she was okay yesterday, but today, he didn't push her any farther after she made an excuse. It's like he had jumped back on his high horse overnight...


	13. One Better Surprise

**A/N: Well, here you go! The long waited part where... They finally find Emma! Is she dead? Is she sick? Hmmm... Well, of you stop reading this pointless little author's note and read the actual story, maybe you'll find out. So seriously. Stop reading this part. If you think I actually wrote anything important here, I didn't. Watermelon, beep beep, jack-oh-lantern, upstage, funky monkey. Ha ha ha! I'm such a child.**

"Laurel!" Sutton screamed into her phone. "Where the heck are you?!"

"Sorry! Thayer's rental ran out of gas," Laurel replied. "Ethan and Thayer are fighting over whether we should push the car or walk to the station and get a gallon."

"Laurel! Tell them my sister is dying!" Sutton yelled, stepping out of the motel office.

"I tried that! Sutton, your boys really hate each other!"

Sutton sighed. She's always hated the Thayer-Ethan-Emma love triangle, mostly because she wasn't part of it, but now, it's a life-or-death situation.

"Their not my boys," Sutton replied. "Should I just go in now? What if Emma died right now, but I wasn't there to save her?"

"Sutton, I don't know if you should," Laurel hesitated. "I'm worried about Emma too, but Rebecca might be there. It would be safer if we were all there."

"I'll... Figure it out. Look, just run to the gas station, get your gas, and get here quickly!"

"Where are they?" Mads mumbled behind Sutton.

"Gas," Sutton replied, angrily. "Should we go now, or wait for them?"

"Sutton! Emma's dying, I'm pretty sure we should go now!" Mads cried out.

"Yeah," Sutton said. "But, remember, Rebecca might be there."

"We'll be fine," Mads hesitated.

* * *

"There," Laurel mumbled. "Can we please go?"

"Are you sure Sutton's alone?"

Laurel looked up. "She said Mads didn't want to go with her"

"I thought you cared about Emma!" Ethan shouted out, struggling to remove the ropes around his wrists.

"Why should I? What has she ever done for me?"

"She loved you, Thayer!" Laurel replied.

"She loved Ethan!" Thayer barked out. "Whatever we had was a game to her!"

"She went to LA for you!" Laurel threw back.

"Not at first!"

"She's dying!" Ethan put in. He had gotten the ropes off, but was still holding his hands behind the chair.

"Now who do you think planned that? Alec isn't supposed to be dead, though. Rebecca ruined everything," Thayer said, mumbling the last part to himself.

"Of course she ruins everything! Emma is dying because of her!" Laurel replied.

"Why are you doing this?!" Ethan asked, ignoring Laurel.

"Sutton," Thayer replied, softly.

* * *

"Please! I need to know which room she's in!" Sutton yelled, holding up a picture of Rebecca.

"Look, sweetie, I'm not aloud to give up that information," The desk clerk replied.

"Why not?" Mads said, stepping forward.

"It's classified!"

"What happened to that short, creepy desk clerk?" Sutton asked.

"He's at the police station. Apparently, someone caught him lying to the cops," The desk clerk replied, leaning on the wall. "I wish I had a chair."

"Please! This... This is my mother! She's...kind of crazy. She broke out of this mental institution and someone saw her come here!" Sutton lied, breezily.

"We just want to make sure she's okay! She could hurt herself!" Mads added.

The desk clerk hesitated. "Fine." He pulled open a drawer and grabbed the files for Rebecca's room.

"Says here she checked out this morning. Sorry, honey. Your mothers on the run," The desk clerk said, looking up at Sutton.

"Well, maybe she left something in her room that can tell us where she's going. Did you clean it, yet?" Sutton asked, hopefully.

"No, not yet. Never had the time, since it's just me here for now."

"Can we have the key?" Mads asked softly.

He sighed. "Okay, but you have to be quick."

"Thank you!" Sutton and Mads replied at the same time.

They rushed to Rebecca's motel room. Sutton jammed the key card through.

"Emma?" Sutton asked as she pushed open the door. The light was still on inside. Emma was on the bed closest to the bathroom. She was fully dressed and her hair was still perfectly combed, indicating that Emma hadn't moved at all.

"Mads, look around! I'll check her pulse," Sutton said, going over to Emma.

"Stop! Don't come any closer!"

Sutton sucked in her breath.

"You're not supposed to be in here."

"Mads," Sutton whispered. She knew who was speaking, but they were in the bathroom.

Behind her back, Sutton made an L with her thumb and fore finger. She's never had to use it before, but now was pretty good time for it.

Back when Char, Mads, and Sutton were still juniors, they played the Lying Game. Sutton stopped it when she thought it became babyish, but they had one more game left. Now they could finally use it.

**A/N: Well, would you look at that! Two authors notes in one story, I haven't done that yet! Who do you think Sutton and Mads saw, and what do you think they're going to do? Reply with your guesses!**


	14. Stop, I've Had Enough

"Stop it!" Sutton whined. "Stop doing this to me! To us! What did we ever do?"

"Everything!" The voice barked from the bathroom.

"That doesn't make sense!" Mads yelled behind Sutton.

"Stop yelling. This is a motel room, not a sound proof room."

"Oh, of course you would say that," Sutton mumbled.

"That's not the point!" Mads said, drowning out Sutton's words. "We can help you!"

"Just let us go!" Sutton whined again, sinking to her knees. She made sure to kneel loudly so it could be heard in the bathroom. "Stop torturing everyone because of me!"

"Sutton's right! This is all so stupid! Why would somebody kill to protect Ted?" Mads added. She couldn't really tell, but it seemed like her plan was working.

"Everyone thinks it's all about Ted. I hate that man."

* * *

"Ted? Emma?" Kristen asked, knocking on the familiar cabin door. "Ted, are you okay?"

Kristen opened the door slowly. Inside, she saw the overturned table and the magazines strewn all across the room.

"Why... Emma doesn't sound like the person who would make such a big mess," Kristen said quietly. She forgot about looking for Ted and, being the mother that she is, started to clean the cabin.

* * *

"You know, when we went to that Colonial Days Field Trip, back in middle school, there was a man there. He was building something... With a hammer. He told everybody that... If you hold it at the front, you get control, but if you hold it at the back... You get power. I don't exactly care where I hit," Thayer looked up. He was throwing a hammer back and forth in his hands, facing the wall opposite of Laurel and Ethan.

"Thayer... You don't need to do anything," Laurel said, calmly and quietly.

"Why?" He responded, turning to face Laurel.

"What about your sister?" Laurel looked up, pleadingly.

"She doesn't care about you! She won't bother to ask after I fill her mind with the thought of Mom coming home," Thayer said, surprising himself by revealing part of his plan.

"Suh- Sutton's going to ask," Laurel stuttered.

"She would wonder where her sister is," Ethan put in.

"Don't you think I know that!?" Thayer barked out.

"Ethan, just... Let me talk," Laurel whispered.

"Besides, I wasn't talking to her. I was talking to you," Thayer said, turning to face towards Ethan.

"What did I do?" Ethan gritted through his teeth.

"Emma."

Ethan scoffed. "Actually, you did. And isn't this about Sutton?"

"Ethan," Thayer asked, ignoring him, "why did you kiss Sutton, then get back together with her when Emma was in LA?"

"It's none of your business," Ethan shot back.

"You liked Emma," Thayer said softly to himself. "Because she was nice...and honest. All the time. Sutton does one nice thing, you kiss her. She does another, you date her." He started pacing. "You just seem to get together with whatever twin is there."

"That's not what happened!" Ethan interrupted.

"It's how it looks," Thayer looked up. "You just can't choose, can you? They're twins! You're not choosing them because of how they look. You're not choosing them because of their personalities, their completely different personalities."

"Stop!" Laurel shouted, tilting her head back. She was tired of whatever was wrong about Ethan's love life.

"You're tied up. You can stop being referee, Laurel," Thayer said, spitting out her name like it was a disease.

"Well, I'm not," Ethan proclaimed as he stood, holding up the ropes that had been bound around his wrists.

* * *

**A/N: So, have you dealt with enough surprises for the past few days? What do you think will happen? Review please!**


	15. All Talk

**A/N: That part in my last chapter, the one about the Colonial Days Field Trip, that actually happened to me. The man was building a birdhouse, and he didn't exactly tell everybody, but it was real. Of course, I never actually hit someone with a hammer. Not that someone will in this story... Also, it's spring break this week, so I'll try to post long stories and as many as I can before I go to LA! Enjoy!**

"If you hate him, why are you doing this for him?" Mads asked.

"It's not for him! It's for Ethan," Dan said, finally stepping out of the bathroom. He couldn't hear the sound of Sutton's three-inch heels coming any closer, but he needed to be sure.

"Ethan loves Emma! If you let her die, he'll never forgive you!" Sutton said, standing up.

"He'll never know,"Dan stated.

"Did... You kill Theresa?" Mads asked. She was going against the game, but she was curious.

"I'm not like Ethan. I actually did love her. I would never do that," Dan followed up, glaring.

"What do you mean you're not like Ethan? Ethan might've left Emma, and me, but he was doing that for you. We know he wouldn't kill anyone, either. You might not've, but you knew who did kill Theresa, didn't you?" Sutton questioned. She was going to get back at Mads for changing the game later, but right now, she had a new plan. She just needed Mads to play along.

"What do you think?" Dan replied.

"Well, I don't know. I mean, you're shaking, you won't look me in the eye, and you aren't breathing normally. Maybe you told them to kill her. Maybe you wanted to look like the victim," Sutton said, a sly smile creeping onto her face.

"Maybe you started this. I mean, you are a cop. You could've erased all evidence that involved you," Mads added, following along.

"I know what you're doing. I've dealt with you enough to know that you're trying to trick me," Dan murmured, forcing himself to look Sutton in the eye.

"What are we doing?"Sutton asked, raising her eyebrows.

"We're just trying to guess what's been happening to us and our friends," Mads said, putting the most sincere smile she could muster on her face.

"Look, I just got into this. I only know who killed Theresa because I read the evidence! I don't know what's happened to you before, but you're family doing this to yourselves!" Dan glared.

"Doing what?" Mads asked, raising her eyebrows just like Sutton.

"Ruining your lives!" Dan sighed. "Your father lied to... Everybody! He started everything!"

"Our father cared enough to lie. Your father kicked you out," Sutton said, tilting her head. She had been speaking in one tone of voice since Dan stepped out of the bathroom and was starting to think that the plan was working.

"Ethan and I chose to leave. I've been taking care of him. I've practically been his father since he was a kid," Dan spit back at Sutton.

"So, basically, not legally, the fathers of everybody who's lives are being ruined are liars," Mads said, in the same way Sutton was talking.

"Well, at least we didn't turn into psychotic killers," Sutton added.

"Do you really think I would kill someone? I didn't know you had anything to do with the murders!" Dan cried out, attempting to defend himself.

"What murders?" Sutton and Mads asked simultaneously, smiling innocently.

Suddenly, the bed that separated Dan from Sutton and Mads creaked. Emma was still lying there, pale, with her head on her arm, but she was moaning, very, very quietly. Then, her mouth opened slightly, letting out a raspy, quiet voice, her lips barely moving.

"I can't move."

* * *

"How do you feel Thayer? Really didn't think this through, huh? I bet that Rebecca's going to come down really hard on your sorry ass! You two are working together, right?" Ethan spit at Thayer. He was pushing Thayer into the wall. A few minutes ago, Thayer had hit Ethan's jaw with the hammer. He had been aiming for his eye, but he wanted the power to take down Ethan. Laurel was still sitting in her chair tied up, speechless. She didn't think Thayer would have the courage to hit Ethan now that he could defend himself.

"Yeah," Thayer grunted in return," But it's not just us."

"What are you talking about?" Ethan questioned, pushing harder.

"Your brother isn't exactly fond of ," Thayer replied. He wasn't breathing well, and he need to get this part out fast. "Ted used Alec for help, and Alec used your brother." Thayer tried to breathe in deeply, failing to fully fill his lungs. "Something about ruining his future with Theresa. I was lying before. I didn't come up with hurting Emma, your brother did. If he can't be happy, than neither can you."

"Stop lying!" Ethan yelled. He pulled Thayer away from the wall and threw him on the ground. Ethan leaned down, checking to see if Thayer was unconscious. After confirming that, he ran to Laurel and untied her.

"Ethan-," Laurel started.

"Let's go," Ethan uttered, pushing past Laurel. He stepped outside, realizing that they had been trapped in the kitchen of a closed restaurant. Laurel followed him, not speaking.

"Where do you think the rental is?" Ethan asked, breathing deeply.

Laurel pointed towards another building. The back of the white Prius was sticking out slightly.

"What... What if he wasn't lying?" Laurel asked quietly, taking a chance.

"Laurel, you don't know my brother. He... He's given up so much for me and... I can't just accuse him of trying to hurt your family because some jealous, pathological liar, psychopath told me to," Ethan murmured.

"Ethan, that's the point. Maybe he was tired of giving up things," Laurel said, following Ethan to the car.

"Can we talk about this later, Laurel? We need to save Emma," Ethan whirled around, looking Laurel in the eye.

Laurel sighed.

"Let's go."


	16. Motel Drama

**A/N: Hi! Sorry, I forgot to post this chapter before I left for Los Angeles. But, now that I'm back, I can tie up some loose strings. Most of this chapter revolves around the motel room. If there are any other people that I haven't mentioned in a while and you want to know what happened to them, tell me! I'm not sure how many chapters this story is going to have, but, I assure you, it's not over yet! If you want to know what else I'll be writing about, read over my summary. I'll make sure to weave some fluff into this story, too. You know, once Emma can breathe normally again. Metaphorically speaking, of course.**

"Don't move!" Dan yelled, pulling out a gun and pointing it at Emma. She was still lying on the motel bed, but her eyes were open and she was looking up at Dan.

Sutton, in spite of her current situation, burst out laughing. "What?" Dan asked, facing Sutton.

"She can't move!" Sutton uttered past her laughter. Dan's choice of words were hilarious to her; maybe because she hadn't eaten all day. "Did you not here her?! She's not going anywhere!"

"Sutton!" Mads gritted through her teeth.

"You're right," Dan said, smiling. He raised his gun, pointing it at Sutton, who had suddenly stopped laughing.

"You wouldn't shoot her," Mads murmured, shaking.

"Don't test him. He's a psychotic killer, remember?" Sutton whispered to Mads.

"I'm not deaf, Sutton. I can hear you," Dan glared at Sutton.

Sutton smiled, trying not to laugh. "If you're not deaf, how come you didn't hear Emma?" Sutton dared to say.

Suddenly, Laurel burst through the door that Sutton had failed to lock.

"Ethan, it's open!" Laurel yelled before looking in the room. When she did, her jaw dropped. "Dan?"

* * *

"Where is she?" Ted screamed into his phone. He had been driving all around town, looking for Rebecca in motels and inns. Now, he was leaving his fifth voicemail to Rebecca. "You wouldn't hurt your own daughter, would you? If you do anything to her, I swear, I'll-" Ted's phone beeped, indicating the end of the message.

"Augh!" Ted yelled, punching his steering wheel. He was tired and out of gas, all because of nothing. The daughter that he barely knew was missing and her mother was a fugitive. Ted couldn't help but feel like it was all his fault. If he hadn't lied to Kristen, if he hadn't gone to Santa Barbara...

Ted sighed. He was parked at a motel, not to far from the family cabin. Ted started his car, deciding to clear his head at the cabin, when he heard a gun shot and a scream...

* * *

Ethan was running to Rebecca's motel room. He had been in the front office, trying to get the key to the room, while Laurel trying to get in. He heard Laurel yell to him, but that was before he heard a gun and a scream.

Ethan opened the door to the room, slowly. Sutton was kneeling next to Laurel, who was sprawled out on the floor, blood coming out of her shoulder.

"Ethan, get Emma," Sutton breathed quietly, trying to help Laurel up.

Ethan rushed to Emma. Her eyes were fluttering and her skin was pale. As Ethan pulled Emma higher up on the bed, Mads opened the door to the bathroom.

"He's gone. I called the paramedics for Laurel," Mads said, still shaking.

"Who's gone?" Ethan asked, looking up. Sutton looked at Mads, pleadingly. She didn't want to be the bearer of bad news.

Mads sighed. "The guy who shot Laurel," She muttered.

"Who shot Laurel?" Ethan questioned, confused. Mads and Sutton just looked at each other, silently.

Emma looked around at the people she had only known for a few months. She knew that they all didn't have it in them to say anything. She felt like, as the only one who didn't know Dan as much, she had to say it. She also knew that Ethan wouldn't take it as hard if she said it.

Emma sighed. She opened her mouth as much as she could and forced herself to speak. "Dan did."

Ethan looked down at the girl in his arms. Sure, he would believe anything she said, but right now, she could barely keep her eyes open. She might've seen wrong.

"No. No, you saw wrong. Dan wouldn't hurt you," Ethan uttered.

"Ethan... Dan was here," Sutton muttered, looking away from him.

"He must've... Escaped through the window," Mads added.

Ethan leaned back onto the hard motel pillows. "Maybe... He was here to help," Ethan suggested, hopefully.

"Ethan, he still shot Laurel. And he told us himself that he's been a part of this for a while," Mads sighed. She knew, from personal experience, that it was hard to think that someone you love so much would do something so terrible.

"Stop! It's not him!" Ethan defended.

"He was working with Rebecca!" Sutton added.

"No! Tha-" Ethan gulped. "Thayer is."

Suddenly, the door burst open, again.

"Laurel!" cried out, looking down at his daughter. "What happened?" He asked, kneeling down next to Sutton.


	17. Two Psycho's Down

**A/N: I plan on finishing up some of the drama soon so I can start adding some fluff to my story. What do you guys think? Should I quickly end the mystery, or drag it out? I know exactly what to write for the ending, I'm just not sure how I'm going to play it out. Also, there's still the matter of Alec. If you go back to chapter 8, you'll see that little sentence I wrote. Alec's not supposed to be dead yet. Anyways, enjoy chapter 17 of Don't Drag Me Down!**

"Well?" Ted asked. Ethan and Mads were sitting in the waiting room at the hospital. Ted had just come from Emma's and Laurel's hospital room. Emma had been checked in as Sutton, so she and Laurel were put in the same room, and Sutton was hiding in her car.

"I don't exactly want to tell my story without Sutton," Mads replied.

Ted nodded slowly. "I'm sure you feel this way too, right Ethan?"

"Laurel needs to tell her side, too," Ethan answered. Truthfully, Ethan was just to tired to talk.

Ted sighed. "Well, I talked to Emma, when she could move her mouth, and, apparently, she didn't drink all of the drug. Luckily, she still didn't trust Rebecca. When she gave her the drink, Emma was half-asleep and didn't realize what she was doing until she drank half of the cup," Ted finished, reciting what Emma had told him.

"The last time we talked to her, she could barely say 'Dan'," Mads mumbled.

"Well, she's doing better. And, why would she need to say 'Dan'?" Ted questioned.

"Sorry. Still need Sutton," Mads shrugged.

Ted frowned. "If any of you were in any trouble because of Dan, you need to tel-"

" , why are you here today?" A nurse interrupted. "Are they making you work on your own wife?"

"What do you mean?" Ted asked, confused.

"Your wife? Isn't that why your here?" The nurse questioned back.

"No... I'm here because Em-Sutton was drugged and Laurel was shot," Ted answered, hesitantly.

The nurse gasped quietly. "Oh... I... I'm sorry, Ted. Your wife was in a car accident."

* * *

Sutton sighed. Her only sisters were both in the hospital, and she was just sitting in her car.

"Okay, you know what?" Sutton said quietly to herself. She started her car and drove to a diner across town.

"Hey there, hon!" The cheery waitress said, walking up to Sutton.

"Hi," Sutton replied, mustering a smile. She ordered a big dinner, the only food she'd had all day, and ate it quietly. She looked around the little diner and saw something move across the street.

"Um, excuse me?" Sutton asked, motioning for the waitress. "What are those buildings across the street? I think I see someone there."

"Oh, sweetie," the waitress said, smiling, "those used to be restaurants. They're closed now. Nobody's there, hon."

"But-" Sutton started.

"Besides, there's nowhere they could've come from. Caroline Rybak owned those diners. You can't get in without a key from her," The waitress interrupted.

"Rybak?" Sutton questioned, raising her eyebrows.

"Oh, she lives at the other side of town, last I heard. Excuse me," The waiter finished.

Sutton stopped eating and looked down. "Mads mom?" She whispered quietly to herself. She looked up slowly and saw a woman sitting at the next booth over staring at her.

Sutton rolled her eyes. "Take a picture. It lasts longer."

The woman laughed. "Oh, I'm sorry. You just look so much like this woman my husband arrested."

"Auh! I look like a criminal?" Sutton gasped, offended.

"No! No, I'm sorry!" The woman apologized. "I mean, you could be her daughter!"

Sutton raised her eyebrows. "What's her name?"

"Well, she said Sutton," The woman started as Sutton's jaw dropped. "But, apparently, she matches the description of a suspected murderer. She's either Sutton, or Rebecca."


	18. Over The Phone

**A/N: I have no idea what to say. I am so sorry I haven't been updating. In all seriousness, I don't have any excuse. I guess I've just been lazy the past few days. Well, in my defense, some people don't update for years! Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter. The chapter you should've enjoyed days ago. I tried my best to make it longer than usual for you guys, so enjoy!**

A loud, simple ringtone suddenly blasted from Sutton's purse. As Sutton pulled herself back to Earth, she noticed that the woman who had told her about Rebecca was now focused on her dinner, so Sutton grabbed her phone.

"Sutton!" A loud, panicky voice boomed out of Sutton's phone.

"Ethan! You won't believe what I just found out!" Sutton cried out in response.

"Sutton, where are you? We need to talk!" Ethan whispered, ignoring Sutton.

"Ethan! Where did Thayer keep you?" Sutton asked impatiently.

Ethan sighed. "Some abandoned kitchen in a diner across town. Why?"

"I left the hospital to get food because I haven't eaten all day. I went across town, you know, since I'm supposed to be drugged in a hospital. There are some empty diners across the street, and I swear, I saw someone there!" Sutton said, answering both of Ethan's questions.

"It's probably your imagination, Sutton!" Ethan spat out, annoyed that she wasn't letting him talk.

"I even asked the waitress. She said that Caroline Rybak owned the diner, so you can't get in without a key. It was definitely where Thayer kept you!" Sutton finished.

"Sutton, it might just be a coincidence. I knocked Thayer out," Ethan said back.

Sutton sighed. "Fine. But there's a lady here at the diner. She told me a criminal that her husband arrested looks like me. The lady says the criminal said her name was Sutton, but she matched the description of a wanted suspect," Sutton whispered as she paid for dinner and got in her car.

"Rebecca?" Ethan asked, cautiously.

"Yes! She was arrested at the border for possession of drugs!" Sutton answered.

"The drugs she used on Emma?" Ethan questioned.

"What else?" Sutton looked around her. The abandoned diner across the street seemed empty now, but Sutton swore she saw someone there before.

Ethan paused, taking it all in.

"Ethan?" Sutton asked after a few minutes.

"What?" Ethan answered, coming out of his trance.

"Did you want to tell me something? Are Emma and Laurel okay?" Sutton said her last question softly, hoping they didn't die.

"Sutton... Your mom was in a car accident," Ethan murmured.

* * *

The automatic glass doors at the hospital slowly closed as Mads walked towards her car. She was tired of waiting at the hospital and she really wanted to check on Jordan.

At the police station, Mads sat in the waiting room, waiting for someone to help her.

"Sweetie?" A soft, thoughtful voice called out to Mads.

Mads looked up.

"Do you need help with anything?" A short woman asked with a small, sincere smile plastered on her face.

"Um, I just wanted to check on someone. He was arrested yesterday," Mads answered.

"The jail is down the hall, hon," The woman's smile grew as she turned around and walked away.

"Thanks," Mads called out after the woman. She had been surprisingly sweet. Mads stood up and sauntered down the hall slowly, listening to the conversations around her.

"The new DA? What happened to Rybak?" A police officer asked to two other men.

Mads sighed, remembering yesterday's events like they happened years ago.

"...in the hospital," Mads overheard from two men standing next to filing cabinets.

"Who?"

"Sutton Mercer. That girl who called about the baby in the dumpster."

"Oh! The liar!"

"Yeah! She's in the hospital. She's saying that she was drugged, but I think she's been taking drugs for a while."

"That's not a surprise."

Mads scoffed, stepping up to the two officers filing paperwork. "She was drugged! She almost died, but it wasn't her fault."

The plump, balding man scrunched his eyes at Mads. "Can we help you?"

Mads sighed. "I'm looking for someone in jail. Jordan Lyle."

The other officer, a short man with a bowl haircut, sighed. He ruffled around in the files, then looked up at Mads.

"Jordan Lyle? He was arrested for killing his brother?" The officer asked.

"That's him," Mads confirmed.

"He's not at this jail. He was moved to Los Angeles this afternoon," the officer claimed.

* * *

"What happened?" Sutton whispered, in shock.

"Your dad said she had a seizure in her car. According to the cameras, Kristen was waiting at a stop light when it happened. A truck drove around the corner..." Ethan trailed off. He had a feeling that Sutton could guess what happened next.

"Mom? She doesn't have seizures," Sutton defended. She was scared at first, but now, she was confused.

"A lot has happened, Sutton," Ethan answered, soothingly.

"Yeah, but she doesn't know half of it! What are we gonna do?" Sutton cried, slurring together her words.

"We can tell her gradually. She'll be fine," Ethan reassured Sutton. He was trying to live up to the fact that he had forgiven Sutton by being nice to her.

"How is she now?" Sutton asked, sighing.

"She's..." Ethan started.

"What?" Sutton asked, sniffling.

"The trucker. The one who hit her, he pulled her out of the car," Ethan mumbled.

"So?" Sutton questioned.

"He pulled her out of the window," Ethan said, ignoring Sutton. "He dislocated her shoulder."

"My mom has a dislocated shoulder?" Sutton exclaimed, gasping.

"Because she was pulled out!" Ethan quickly added. "The crash... Your moms getting surgery. There was... Damage. To the brain." Ethan slowly uttered to news.

Sutton's head fell backwards. "You said she'll be fine!" Sutton squeaked.

"She will be! Just like Laurel and Emma will be just fine," Ethan said, reassuring Sutton again.

* * *

Laurel woke up to the sound of a door locking in place. She slowly opened her eyes. To her right, a curtain separated Laurel from Emma. To her left, a nurse was putting together a file. Laurel cleared her throat.

The nurse turned around, gasping. "You're awake! Okay, um, hold on! I'll get your father. There are some people who want to see you!"

Laurel slowly nodded. She lay silently as the nurse ran out of the room. A few minutes later, her father, Ethan, the nurse, and Baz walked in.

"Laurel! What happened?" Baz asked, pushing to the front of the group. As Baz talked to Laurel, Ted pulled Ethan next to the door.

"Where are the girls?" Ted asked quietly.

"Sutton went to a diner and Mads just disappeared," Ethan whispered back.

"Do you think she's okay?"

"She's probably just tired and went home. I'll call her later to make sure," Ethan answered.

Ted nodded, then walked up to Laurel.

"Laurel, honey. Your mom was in a car accident," Ted blurted out without hesitation.

"What? Dad..." Laurel squeaked out.

"Do you remember the book I was reading?" Ted interrupted.

"In her car?" Laurel gasped. Her mouth opened slightly and a small squeak sputtered out of her mouth. Suddenly, her eyes fluttered closed. The room immediately grew louder as Ethan and Baz were pushed out the door, but not before they heard the straight buzz of the heart monitor.

**A/N: So, there you go! The long waited chapter eighteen of Don't Drag Me Down! Again, I'm really sorry. I knew exactly what I wanted to write, but I never wrote it. So, now that I've written and updated, I might not post again in, like, a week. As much as I want to, I never commit fully to something to finish it, besides schoolwork. I'll try my best to update. I don't exactly have a time set for updating, so look out for my next chapter! Please, feel free to review this chapter! Constructive criticism is welcomed!**


	19. Done

**A/N: Please enjoy the next chapter of Don't Drag Me Down! I could take the time to apologize for being so lazy, but I'd rather let you enjoy the story. So far, the story has nineteen chapters, but if you couldn't tell, the story has only gone on for two days. In two days, Emma was kidnapped and drugged, Laurel was shot, Mads spilled the beans, Dan was revealed as a psycho, and Sutton kil- What? Nothing! I didn't mention anything!**

Emma's eyes fluttered open. She saw Laurel on her bed, surrounded by doctors and nurses. Emma was being wheeled out of the room. By the time Emma got to her new room, she could no longer hear the buzz of the heart monitor.

_The name Sutton Mercer doesn't deserve a private room?_ Emma thought to herself when she saw someone on the opposite side of the curtain.

"Hi there!" A surprisingly cherry woman perked up from behind the curtain. She pulled it open, showing Emma that the woman was a visitor, not a patient.

"Hello," Emma uttered from her bed. Her voice was dry and cracking.

"What's wrong with you?" The woman asked. Emma gave her a funny look.

"Oh! No, she didn't mean it like that!" The patient said from his bed. "I'm sorry! She doesn't usually think before she speak."

Emma nodded slowly, looking back up at the woman. She was wearing dark sunglasses and held a cane. She was blind.

Her pastel, sea-foam green purse clashed with her dark blue leggings and bright, yellow sweater. The only thing she was wearing that Emma thought looked good were her shoes, which were maroon, but they didn't match the rest of her outfit, either.

"Um... Drugs," Emma muttered back in response.

The patient scoffed. "Teens. You and your drugs. Close the curtain!" The man barked out to the nurse.

"No! I was drugged. Umm... It's a long story," Emma corrected.

"I love stories!" The visitor said, using her cane to find a chair to sit in.

"I can't really say... I mean, it's not just my story," Emma sighed.

"Do you mind telling a story, anyway? I've been waiting in this bed for two hours, bored out of my mind," The patient asked.

Emma sighed again. "Once upon a time... There were these twins."

* * *

"She's fine," Ted reassured Ethan and Baz. "She was shocked when I told her about her mother, but she's fine."

"Where's... Sutton?" Ethan asked, remembering the sight of Emma being rolled out.

"Sutton... was moved to another semi-private room,"Ted answered.

"Oh, I saw her. She's down the hall from Laurel's room," Baz put in. "What happened to her?"

"Uh... I'll go check on... Sutton," Ethan said, inviting himself to leave.

"She..." Ted stuttered, "She's drugged. She was drugged."

Baz leaned forward. "Who would do that?"

"Rebec-" Ted started, immediately stopping himself.

"Rebecca? Isn't that her mother?" Baz asked.

Ted looked straight at Baz. "How do you know that?"

Baz smirked. "I guess that's a yes. I walked in on Laurel's and Sutton's conversation once. Why would Sutton's mother drug her?"

"I- it's none of your business," Ted barked out, rudely.

"But... If Rebecca's crazy, or something, she could hurt Laurel," Baz said, concerned.

Ted thought about what Ethan told him about what Sutton saw. "It's fine. Don't worry, and don't mention anything to Laurel."

"She doesn't know?"

"She knows, but... Just don't worry her. Did you see what happened when I told her about Kristen?"

At that moment, a nurse interrupted their conversation.

"Dr. Mercer? Your wife's ready," The nurse said softly.

Ted sighed. So much had happened in the last few months, but the last few days had been very tiring. "I'll take care of it."

"Wait, Mr. Mercer!" Baz called out.

"Please don't worry Laurel!" Ted yelled back, raising the heads of several anxious visitors.

* * *

Sutton tilt her head over the back of her chair. She closed her eyes. What was wrong with everyone? Who kills for a secret? For a love-child? Love-children. Sutton was the product of an affair.

This was all so messed up! Sutton was supposed to believe that Alec was such a good friend, he told someone about the secret who was ready to kill?

Alec, Theresa, Derek. Dead. Gone.

Sutton opened her eyes. Her heart was pounding, but all she was doing was sitting there. She started breathing deeply to try and calm down, but it wasn't working. She started seeing flashes.

She was done. This was all to much. Sutton could barely breath. Her eyes started tearing up. Sutton was so tired.

She screamed. Loudly. Let it out. She could see a man staring at her car, clearly hearing her. She didn't care.

She was done.

**A/N: Well, there you go! Please review this chapter! Knowing that some people are actually _waiting_ to read this is kind of what keeps me writing, and I love knowing what you guys think of my writing. **

**I truly believe that if, somehow, ABC Family continued The Lying Game, and, somehow, used my story, which they probably wouldn't, they would stretch it out over more than two days, adding more fluff. If any of you feel like I'm not "fluffing" enough, please tell me! I really want this story to end well. I'm not really adding as much fluff as I want to because of the kidnapping, but I'm trying out the sentimental side!**

**Anyways, I'll try to post as early as I can! Haven't I promised that before, though?**


	20. Author's Note

A/N: Hey! Would you look at that. It's the twentieth chapter and all I've got is an author's note! I'm sorry, guys, but I'm blanking out over here. Plus, I haven't gotten any reviews since chapter 18 and, as I've mentioned, they are really what inspires me to keep writing. This is my first fan fiction, but I need to know if its still good enough for you guys! Please review and tell me! While you're at it, give me some ideas so I can keep at a steady updating pace!

Again, thank you for reading this story, but if it's no longer being read, I'll have to abandon it. Please review to tell me! I'll try my best to write another chapter, but only if it's wanted!

-Sawyer


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